May 16, 2026 06:54 PM UTC

BREAKING: Donald Trump Turns On Lauren Boebert...Too Late

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Ernest Luning of the Colorado Springs Gazette explains that not even a write-in primary challenge against Lauren Boebert is possible at this late date:

Only votes for registered write-in candidates will be counted, and the deadline to register for the primary passed about a month ago. You have to fill out a form and file it with election officials. Someone could still do it before the general election. #copolitics

— Ernest Lee Luning (@eluning) May 17, 2026

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Ever since Colorado’s careening cannonball of controversy Rep. Lauren Boebert turned definitively against her former political pole star Donald Trump over the release of the files in the case of Trump’s former close friend Jeffrey Epstein, the clock was ticking toward this afternoon’s political earthquake on the Eastern Plains:

While it’s true that Boebert is campaigning for her friend and fellow Epstein holdout Rep. Thomas Massie as he tries to hold off a MAGA primary challenge, Boebert has also been increasingly vocal from her position on the House Oversight Committee in not letting the Epstein matter fall through the cracks after the files were finally released and Pam Bondi paid for their distastrous handling with her own job. After Gov. Jared Polis capitulated on the continued imprisonment of Tina Peters yesterday, Trump’s very next “Truth” celebrates Peters’ impending release–taken together, an additional snub to Lauren Boebert:

If Colorado gets the Arkansas Valley Conduit funds restored, Trump wants you to know not to thank Lauren Boebert.

Meanwhile, Rep. Boebert is projecting untroubledness, defiantly clinging to the MAGA brand even though MAGA’s leader has disowned her:

Of course, the reason Boebert is not reacting in excessive fear is because the Colorado Republican primary ballot was certified by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold on May 1st, and Boebert is the only Republican candidate in CO-04. Unless Boebert herself pulls out of contention, there will be no Republican primary challenge no matter how hard Trump wishes for one. That being the case, the only way a Trump-backed challenger can get on the ballot short of a write-in campaign against Boebert would be for a third-party challenger to get in the race before the mid-July deadline.

Either way, the net effect of Trump’s disownment of Lauren Boebert is a huge boost to Democratic CO-04 challenger Eileen Laubacher, currently the best-funded congressional candidate running in any race across the state in either party. Trump’s rejection of Boebert costs her base Republican voters, while a third-party challenger could cost her even more voters. Either could be the key to flipping a district that under no normal circumstances should be on the table for Democrats.

In short, exactly like his ill-fated endorsement of the totally unqualified Hope Scheppelman, Trump put his ego ahead of keeping the House GOP majority.

Even if Trump walks this back, which is entirely likely, damage has been done.